WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6:00AM WEDNESDAY THROUGH 6:00AM THURSDAY. 6-8 INCHES OF SNOW, WITH A BAND OF 8-10 INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA. AN INCH OF SLEET IS ALSO POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN KENTUCKY.

Scott Brown's Sportsbytes

Scott Brown handles most of the sports duties for Ham Broadcasting. In addition to providing daily sports news on this blog, he broadcasts high school football, basketball and baseball games on WKDZ and WHVO. He also hosts the Saturday Morning Sports Report on WKDZ - one of the few local sports programs in the area. His local sports has been the most read in Trigg County for several years.

Kentucky Christian Linebacker Andrew Stewart was one of 51 college football players in the state recognized Friday as part of the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Commonwealth Team.

The former Trigg County standout was the Mid-South Conference Player of the Week at KCU and was NAIA Defensive Player of the Week in addition to being named a Cliff Harris Award nominee.

This year was the fourth All-Commonwealth Team recognized by the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame, which honors football players at state colleges and universities who distinguish themselves both on and off the field.

The Hoptown scored six runs in the first two innings and held off a late Dubois County rally to win 6-3 and claim their eighth straight win to start the season. The eight-game winning streak is two wins shy of the Ohio Valley League record the Hoppers set last year.

First baseman Ben Fisher had two of Hoptown's four hits and drove in a pair of runs, and second baseman Sean Brophy had a hit and an RBI.

Evan Tidwell got the win with five innings of four-hit work while striking out four. Trevor Blocker got the final out for the save after Dubois County scored twice in the ninth to make things interesting.

Hoptown has now won eight of their 11 meetings with the Bombers, including five of six at historic League Stadium.

The unbeaten Hoppers will visit the winless Madisonville Miners tonight at Elmer Kelley Stadium in Madisonville. The Hoppers have won seven straight vs. Madisonville dating back to last season.

Emma Talley helped the United States cap a dominant week and regain the Curtis Cup from Great Britain and England Sunday.

The Princeton native and University of Alabama golfer clinched the win on the 15th hole of her singles match when she drained a three-foot putt to beat Bronte Law of England 4-and-3.

The USA won 13-7 to regain the Curtis Cup, a biennial competition between the USA and Great Britain and England that dates back to 1932. The U.S. saw their seven-match streak end two years ago in Scotland.

Talley went 3-0-1 over the weekend.

“This was the best week ever. I'm just happy to play with my friends and to do it for my country is even better,” she said.The 2016 Curtis Cup Match will be conducted at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, outside of Dublin, Ireland.

Meanwhile, Talley will head to Pinehurst, North Carolina to play in the U.S. Women's Open June 19-22. It will be her third U.S. Open start.

Grayson Crawford, who has led Christian County High School to back-to-back region title games and the Hoptown Hoppers to back-to-back title series appearances, will be stepping down to take a position at Lindsey Wilson College.

Crawford will become an assistant coach with the Raiders starting July 1. He said he will finish the year as coach of the Hoppers, who are off to a 6-0 start in the Ohio Valley League.

Crawford talks about his time with the Colonels and Hoppers.

Crawford was 47-35 in two seasons as Christian County baseball coach. The Colonels fell to Union County in the Second Region title game last week.

He is in his third season as Hoppers manager and has a 61-13 regular season record.

2013 U.S. Women's Amateur champion Emma Talley begins play today in the Curtis Cup at the St. Louis Country Club. The Curtis Cup is a team competition for the top women's amateur golfers in the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland.

The former Caldwell County golfer, who just wrapped up her sophomore year at the University of Alabama, will team with Stanford's Mariah Stackhouse in today's four-ball event.

The teams will combine to play four-ball, foursomes, and a singles match over the next three days to determine the team winner.

The first Curtis Cup was played in 1932, and the U.S. won seven straight events before losing the cup two years ago in Scotland.

Talley began the week as the 18th ranked women's amateur golfer in the world and number seven in the U.S.

Two pitchers combined on a one-hitter as the Hoptown Hoppers beat Fulton 9-1 Thursday night at Colonel Field. The Hoppers are off to a 6-0 start -- the second-longest winning streak in the modern Hopper era.

Ryan Mossman and Geordie Carlson combined to hold the Railroaders to a single hit. Mossman struck out two in five innings, while Carlson earned the save by striking out five in four innings of relief.

Parker Cash went 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBIs as the Hoppers scored three in the second and three more in the fourth inning.

Hoptown wraps up a 4-0 homestand before heading out on a five-game road trip. Hoptown plays at Owensboro tonight, a team they have beaten 11 straight times and 20 of their last 22.

The Hoptown Hoppers withstood a 30-munute rain delay Sunday to beat Owensboro 8-2 at Colonel Field. The Hoppers (3-0) are off to their best start since baseball returned to Hopkinsville in 2012. The win was Hoptown's 20th in their 22 career meetings with the Oilers dating back three seasons and 11th straight.

First baseman Ben Fisher had two hits and three RBIs, and Jeffrey Kammer and Michael Haun each had two hits as part of their 10-hit attack.

The Hoppers scored single runs in the second and fourth, two in the fifth, and three more in the eighth.

Evan Tidwell allowed two runs over six innings, and three relivers, including Hopkinsville's Josh Drake, combined to give up just two hits over the final three innings.

The Hoppers will host Dubois County Tuesday at Colonel Field. Hoptown won six of the nine meetings with the Bombers last year.

Tuesday's game will be the Herb Hays Memorial Game for Jack Hays, who recently lost his battle with cancer. His widow and granddaughter will throw out the first pitch. Cancer Survivors who wear their purple shirts from past Relay walks will be admitted to the game for free. Hoppers GM Finney Noffsinger also said the team will have a cancer survivors parade prior to the game.

The Hoptown Hoppers opened the 2014 Ohio Valley League Baseball season Friday with an 8-1 road win at Madisonville.

Catcher Taylor Ellis (Dyersburg State) had three hits, including a home run, and three runs batted in. First baseman Ben Fisher (Eastern Kentucky) had two hits and scored twice, and Chris Brown (Stillman) and Parker Cash (Southern Union State) each doubled.

Geordie Carlson (Lipscomb), a returning Hopper from 2013, picked up the win on the mound, striking out eight in five innings of relief.

The Hoppers travel to Fulton tonight to play the Railroaders -- the team they have faced in the OVL championship series the past two seasons. Fulton's opener at Dubois County Friday was rained out.

The Hoppers play their home opener Sunday against Owensboro at 7pm at Christian County's Colonel Field.

The Hoptown Hoppers begin season three in the Ohio Valley Summer Collegiate League this week, and everything appears to be in place for both the season opener and home opener.

Hoptown opens the 2014 season at Madisonville Friday and then visit their old friends the Fulton Railroaders Saturday. The Hoppers begin a four-game homestand Sunday at Christian County's Colonel Field against Owensboro. First pitch is set for 7pm.

Hoppers manager Grayson Crawford discussed the start to the season on the Saturday Morning Sports Report.

The Hoppers are the two-time defending regular season OVL champs and have advanced to the league title series both seasons since joining the OVL. Their regular season record is 60-23.

The University of Kentucky softball team made history Sunday by sweeping UCLA in the Super Regionals to advance to the school's first-ever College World Series.

Needing two wins Sunday, UK beat UCLA 7-3 in the first game and 7-1 in the clinching game.Former Christian County Miss Softball Griffin Joiner hit a grand slam in Saturday's 6-4 series opening loss to the Bruins. The All-SEC catcher finished the weekend 4-for-9 with six RBIs.

Griffin's parents David and Suzanne Joiner made the to Los Angeles to watch their daughter be a part of history.

UK extended their school record with their 49th win Sunday. They
advance to the College World Series in Oklahoma City this week. Kentucky will play Louisiana-Lafayette Thursday at 6pm local time. The CWS is a double-elimination format and will be aired on the ESPN family of networks.

Trigg County and Livingston Central will look to defend their district titles when the Fifth District Tournament begins Monday at Crittenden County High School’s Rocket Arena.

Lyon County (14-9) enters the tournament as the top seed in the tournament and possess the lone winning record of the four district teams. The Lady Lyons are looking for their first district title since 2010.

Lyon will play Trigg County (7-15) Monday night at 6pm. Lyon handled Trigg easily in their two meetings this year, winning 59-20 in Cadiz and 52-26 last month in Eddyville. Lyon County has won nine straight games vs. Trigg County dating back to 2009.

The Lady Cardinals are the two-time defending district champion but enter the postseason losers of 10 of their last 11 games.

Livingston beat Crittenden 52-36 in Marion and 48-35 in Smithland. They play Monday at 7:30pm.

The girls’ championship will be Thursday at 7pm. Livingston Central is looking for the program’s first district three-peat, while a Lyon title would give them eight – more than any other current district team.

Crittenden County last won the district title in 2011 when they won a region title, while Trigg County will try a win from the four seed for the second time in five years.

Over on the boys’ side, Trigg County (15-7) plays Fort Campbell today in a make-up game from Thursday and enters the tournament as the only team with a winning record.

The Wildcats will open with four-seed Lyon County (8-17) who have dropped nine of their last 11 games.

Trigg swept the season series with Lyon, winning 74-57 in Cadiz and 60-38 in Eddyville. It’s the third straight year the teams have met in the district tourney. They open play Tuesday at 6pm.

Two-seed and host Crittenden County (8-19) will play three-seed Livingston Central (7-19) Tuesday at 7:30pm. Both of their regular season games went to overtime, with Crittenden winning 50-48 in one OT in Marion and 66-62 in two OTs last month in Smithland.

Livingston has been playing better basketball of late, thumping Lyon County last week and taking Caldwell County to overtime before losing last night.

The boys’ championship will be played Friday at 7pm.

Trigg County is looking for consecutive district titles for the first time seven years and their 19th overall, which would break a tie with Livingston Central for most among district teams.

Oldies Radio WKDZ 100.9 FM will carry the entire district tournament and will stream online at wkdzradio.com.

Webster County is the host of the Sixth District Tournament that begins Monday in Dixon.
Union County (18-8) plays Webster County (17-13) in the 7pm contest. The winner plays Henderson County (20-5) Thursday at 7pm for the district title.

Union County swept the season series from the Lady Trojans, winning 45-40 Jan. 10 in Dixon and 50-35 Feb. 10 on their home floor.

Henderson County has won six straight district titles since Union County won the 2007 title. Webster County is looking for their first district title in 11 years.

For the guys, Webster County (18-9) plays Union County (11-18) Tuesday night at 7pm for a chance to meet Henderson County (18-7) in Friday’s championship game.

Union and Webster split during the season with the Braves surprising Webster 70-65 Feb. 12 in Dixon.

Henderson County has won 12 of the last 13 titles in the Sixth District. Webster County won two years ago, and Union County will be looking for their first district title in 14 years.

Madisonville not only hosts the Seventh District Tournament next week, but they will also be the site for the boys Second Region Tournament.

The Maroons (16-9) begin play Monday at 7:30pm as an overwhelming favorite over a Dawson Springs (2-21) team they beat 79-8 and 75-19 this year.

Tuesday at 7:30pm, Caldwell County (16-10) plays Hopkins County Central (6-19). Caldwell won a pair of blowouts over the Storm, but Hopkins Central has won three of four entering the postseason.

The championship game will be played Thursday at 7:30pm. Madisonville has won the last four district titles, while Hopkins Central last won a title in 2009. Caldwell County won a title in their first year in the Seventh District in 2007 but none since. Dawson Springs last won a district title in 1997.

For the ladies, it’s the same matchups as the guys meaning each night’s contests will boil down to boy/girl doubleheaders.

Caldwell County has won the last two district titles, and Madisonville won the five before that. Hopkins Central took their last title in 2006, while Dawson Springs has never won a district title and haven’t won a tournament game since 2006.

Hopkinsville and University Heights enter the Eighth District Basketball Tournaments as their favorites to repeat as champions.

The guys begin play Monday at Hopkinsville’s Tiger Gym as the host Tigers (25-2) play Fort Campbell (3-16) at 6pm. UHA (14-10) and Christian County (8-17) play in the 7:30 nightcap.

Hopkinsville won their six district games by an average of 39 points a game.

The best game should be the UHA/Christian County matchup. The Blazers beat the Colonels 83-70 and 81-73 during the regular season. Christian County is 15-8 all-time vs. the Blazers in the district tournament.

The boys’ championship will be played Thursday at 7:30pm.

For the ladies, University Heights rolled through the regular season with only one loss to a region team – Madisonville last week.

The Lady Blazers (21-3) open defense of their district title Tuesday at 6pm against a Fort Campbell (2-21) team they beat 67-31 and 60-47 during the regular season.

Hopkinsville (13-13) and Christian County (11-12) play in the 7:30pm nightcap. The teams only met once during the regular season, with Hoptown slipping away with a 49-44 win on Jan. 17.

Christian County has won 20 of their 30 career meetings with Hopkinsville in the district tournament, including eight of the last nine.

Hopkinsville won the district title two year ago. Christian County last won a title in 2010, and Fort Campbell is looking to end a 17-year district title drought.

Trigg County’s Aaron Stevens is still alive after winning his first two matches Friday at the Kentucky State Wrestling Tournament in Lexington. Christian County had wrestlers go unbeaten Friday, Hopkinsville had two, and Fort Campbell one.

In the 195-pound class, Stevens defeated Simon Kenton’s Alan Cehrs with a fall at 2:57. In round two, he decisioned St. Xavier’s Elijah Allgeier 4-2. He faces Boyle County’s Jake Fooks.
Christian County’s Kajwan Major went 0-2 in his matches in the weight class.

At 132, Hopkinsville’s Connor Jaschen won his two matches Friday, both by falls. He will wrestle Johnson Central’s Blake Gamble today.

At 145, Christian County’s Kevi Matlock won his first two matches fairly easily and will wrestle Louisville Trinity’s Ian Kahl today.

Trigg County’s Ryan Gallogly lost his opening round match but rebounded to pin his opponent in the consolation round before bowing out in round three.

At 152, Hopkinsville’s Robert Bussell won his two opening round matches easily and has advanced to round three today where he will face St. Xavier’s Justin Lampe.

Caldwell County’s Kegan Agnew won his opener before falling in round two. He was eliminated in the consolation round.

Christian County’s Kobe Perry lost his opener and went 1-1 in the consolation round.

At 160, Christian County’s Kenneth Sells won his opening day matches and advanced to round three where he will face St. Xavier’s Dominic Lampe.

Hopkinsville’s Nate Williams is still alive in the consolation bracket after going 2-1 on the day.

At 170, both Isaiah Lawson of Hopkinsville and Fort Campbell’s Ki Ryder are alive in the main bracket after 2-0 starts. Lawson will wrestle Southern’s Caleb Barrett today, while Ryder will face Madison Central’s Stephen Savage.

Christian County’s Xavier Pate is still alive after dropping his second match and winning his consolation opener.

At 106, Fort Campbell’s Luis Regalado won his first match with a fall before falling to LaRue County’s Dalton Bell in round two. Regalado is still alive after winning in the consolation bracket and must win two more matches to advance to no worse than the 7th place match.

Trigg County’s Devonta Turner lost his first match but rebounded to win his second before being eliminated by Ohio County’s Kaleb Sapp.

At 113, Christian County’s Froilan Agolto went 1-2 on the day and was eliminated in the consolation bracket.

At 120, both Caldwell County’s Dylan Gray and University Heights Academy’s Daniel Dyess lost their openers. Both won their opening match in the consolation round but were eliminated in round three.

At 126, both Chance Collins of UHA and Christian County’s Caleb Austin won their opening match but fell in round two. They both won their consolation matches and are still alive needing to win two matches to finish no worse than eighth place. Hopkinsville’s Sam Yates also competed in the weight class and lost his two matches.

At 138, Fort Campbell’s Brian Hedrick and Caldwell County’s Chris Gilkey won their opening round matches before losing in round two. Both are still alive after winning their first consolation bracket match and need to win twice to finish no worse than eighth place.

Christian County eighth grader Diion Leavell competed in the weight class and lost his two matches.

At 182, Christian County’s Jacob Harris, Fort Campbell’s Gino Haywood, and Hopkinsville’s Mario Miles all won their openers but dropped to the consolation bracket with round two losses.

Miles and Haywood are still alive, while Harris was eliminated.

At 220, Christian County’s Tevin Toler and Fort Campbell’s A.J. Ogburn both lost their openers. Toler bowed out in the consolation opener, while Ogburn went 1-2.

At 285, Fort Campbell’s Jake Jorstad is still alive after going 2-1 on the day.

The icy weather has kept teams out of high school gyms across western Kentucky with a total of two boys’ games involving a Second Region team played this week.

At present, that could benefit a Trigg County Wildcat team that has battled sickness since Christmas. Corbin Estes was Trigg’s third-leading scorer before the Christmas break but has played in just one game in 2014 due to being sick.

Luke McKenzie, who scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds last Friday, missed a week last month due to sickness and was just getting back into regular form.

So in some ways, the weather may help get players better without missing February games.

However, no school means no practice time. And looking back, history hasn’t been on Trigg’s side when they miss more than a week of games due to the weather.

In 2010, Trigg County was 10-10 after a district win over Crittenden County. Bad weather kept the Wildcats off the floor for 10 days. Trigg came back and lost four of their final six games and were bounced in the first round of the district tournament.

Back in 2009 when the ice storm hit western Kentucky, Trigg County went 12 days between games and finished the regular season losing five of seven games. The Wildcats rebounded to win the district tournament on their home floor and beat a Jon Hood-less Madisonville team in the first round of the region tournament.

It’s interesting to note that in 1976-77, Trigg County went to school a total of two days between December 17 and January 27 due to winter weather yet played seven games in that stretch.

One thing is for sure. With the start of district tournaments just over two weeks away, you may see some coaches decide against rescheduling the missed games in order to just get in some valuable practice time.

Trigg County's Jayven Jones was set to play his college football at Kentucky Christian University. KCU coaches and former Wildcat Andrew Stewart, now a starting linebacker at KCU, had heavily recruited Jones to the Grayson campus.

However, Lindsey Wilson made a late push and Thursday, landed the All-WKC running back.

In two seasons as a starter, Jones rushed for 2,470 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also had 216 receiving yards and 604 kick return yards.

He was also the team's leading tackler the last two seasons at linebacker.

Jones was one of 42 signees for the Raiders, who were 8-3 last year and finished ranked 19th in the final NAIA Poll of the season.

Meanwhile, Jacob Mason signed to play his college football at Campbellsville University.

Mason was a starter at defensive end his junior season at Trigg County, but moved to nose tackle last year, often drawing double teams.

Mason said Campbellsville will likely play him at defensive end.

Campbellsville was 4-6 last year and is coached by former Paducah Tilghman coach Perry Thomas. One of Mason's main recruiters was Ricky Gehres, a former standout at Hopkinsville.

Joining Mason at Campbellsville will be Hoptown linebacker Khalil Baker.

Ironically, the season opener pits Lindsey Wilson at Campbellsville on August 30.

Trigg County head coach Coby Lewis said both Jones and Mason have a chance to compete for playing time in college.

Western Kentucky schools fared well at the Fort Knox Wrestling Invitational over the weekend. Christian County took second place in the 20-team event behind Ryle.

Hopkinsville edged Fort Campbell for fourth place, and Trigg County battled through injuries to finish 10th, just ahead of University Heights.

Caleb Austin won first place in the 126-pound class to run his season record to 26-3.

Second place finishers for the Colonels included Froilan Agulto in the 113-pound class, Jacob Harris at 182, and Tevin Toler at 220.

Kenneth Sells finished third at 160, while Kjawaun Major (195) and Daniel Knight (106) each took fourth place.

Trigg County got fourth place finishes from Daniel Ingram at 138 and Ryan Gallogly at 145.

Fort Campbell picked up a pair of first place finishes. Louie Regaldo won the 106-pound class, and Gino Haywood had three pins in four matches to win the 182-pound class.

Brian Hedrick (138) and Ki Ryder (170) both took second place for the Falcons, while Jake Jorstad was third at 285.

Hopkinsville had three wrestlers take second place. They were Connor Jaschen at 132, Robert Bussell at 152, and Nate Williams at 160.

Also, Isaac Lawson took third place in the 170-pound class for the Tigers.

University Heights got a second place finish from Daniel Dyess at 120; a third place finish from Chance Collins at 126; and a fourth place finish from Dalton Putty in the 132-pound class.

Trigg County will have senior night Tuesday at 6:30 at Wildcat Gym as they host McCracken County, Graves County, and Daviess County in a dual match competition. Admission is three dollars for adults and free for Trigg County students.

Fourth quarter turnovers and cold shooting plagued Trigg County in their 56-44 loss at Hickman County Saturday. The Lady Wildcats fell to 5-14 with the loss in their first trip to the First Region school.

Trigg County led 20-16 at halftime and was tied with the Lady Falcons heading into the fourth quarter but were outscored 22-10 in the final frame.

Both teams had 17 field goals in the contest, but Hickman County hit three 3-pointers and three more free throws. Trigg managed to hit just 10-of-26 at the free throw line.

Mallory Mize scored 25 points to lead Trigg County to go over 700 points for her career , while Lauren Oliver added eight points.

Hickman County (4-8) got 20 points from Alexis Burpo.

The Lady Wildcats are scheduled to host Hopkins County Central Monday night.

Cole Gardner (seen here against Lyon County) had 29 points against Union County (Cadiz Record photo)

Trigg County overcame a 10-point deficit to win Friday at Union County 60-56 in overtime. The win was Trigg's first in Morganfield since 1977.

Cole Gardner scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He canned a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute of overtime, including the game-winner with nine seconds left after a scramble for a loose basketball under the basket.

Luke McKenzie added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats, who played without starters Corbin Estes and Detaveon Day.

Union County (9-14) got 25 points and 19 rebounds from Jashaud Fleming, who went over the 1,000-point mark for his career on the first bucket of the game.

Trigg County improved to 12-6 with the win and moved to 5-2 on the road this year. The Wildcats scored 20 points off 22 Union County turnovers.

Mallory Mize drives to the basket against Caldwell County (Todd Griffin photo)

Caldwell County used a 30-0 first half run to turn back Trigg County 58-41 in girls basketball action Tuesday night at Wildcat Gym.

Alison Russell's 3-pointer with 4:29 left in the first quarter tied the game at 7-7. Trigg County wouldn't score for another 9:47 of game time. 11 missed shots and 13 turnovers spelled a 30-0 run for Caldwell that gave the visitors a 39-14 lead at the half.

To Trigg County's credit, they kept battling in the second half to keep the contest from getting out of hand.

Caldwell scored 28 points off 19 turnovers with a stifling press that caused 15 first half turnovers for Trigg County.

Mallory Mize led the Lady Wildcats with 17 points, while Russell drained three first half 3-pointers for finish with nine points. Sophomore Taylor Gray added six points and eight rebounds.

Caldwell County (10-8) got 17 points and five rebounds from Tori Loomis. LeLe Rodgers added 11 points and topped 1,000 career points with a third quarter bucket.

Trigg County drops to 5-13 with the loss and will travel to Hickman County Saturday for face a Lady Falcon squad that is 1-8 and owners of a six-game losing streak.

Christian County High School will retire the jerseys of Arnika Brown, Keith Tandy, and Robert Grace. Saturday night before their basketball game with Hopkinsville at Colonel Gym.

Brown and Grace played basketball for the Colonels, while Tandy was a standout football player now playing for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ARNIKA BROWN

Brown was the 2006 Miss Basketball for the state of Kentucky after averaging 25.5 points and 12.3 rebounds per game as a senior. Brown helped lead CCHS to three Sweet 16 state tournament appearances and was a three-time first-team all-state selection.

In addition to Miss Basketball, Brown was named the 2006 Associated Press Player of the Year in Kentucky. In the five years she started for the Lady Colonels, Christian County posted a record of 164-21.

Brown was a three-time first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection while playing at Western Kentucky University. She finished her career averaging 12.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.2-percent from the floor.

Brown finished second on WKU's career rebounding list with 1,164 boards, and 13th on the career scoring list with 1,416 points. She is one of just four players in Lady Topper history to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.

KEITH TANDY

Tandy holds almost every school passing record at Christian County with career totals of 8,609 yards and 90 touchdowns. His school records include 32 touchdowns in a season, 528 yards and eight scores in a game.

As a senior, Tandy rushed for 1,007 yards and added four interceptions while playing defense.
Tandy was a three-year starter at West Virginia University where he earned second-team All-America honors from SI.com and third-team All-America honors from rivals.com his senior season.

He was tied for fifth nationally in passes defended (17) and tied for tenth in interceptions (6).

Tandy was drafted by Tampa Bay in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft and has seen plenty of time on the football field. In his two pro seasons, Tandy has recorded 43 tackles and intercepted three passes.

ROBERT "SNAKE" GRACE

Robert Grace earned the nickname "snake" because of his slender and lanky build. He began his playing career at Lacy High School and later at Christian County when the county schools consolidated.

Grace averaged 17 points and 17 rebounds his senior year and was a starter on the Colonel squads his junior and senior seasons, which included a trip to the state tournament.

Grace was a second-team all-state selection his junior season.

He received a scholarship to play basketball at Vanderbilt and started every game for four seasons.

In Grace's first varsity season (1962-63), he started at center and led the SEC in rebounding at 14.3 per game.

Grace ranks fourth all-time at Vandy in career rebounds (837), third in rebounds per game (11.0) and eighth for most rebounds in a season (13.4).

Grace was named second-team All-SEC his sophomore season and first-team All-SEC his senior season when Vandy won the conference with a 15-1 record and finished ranked fifth nationally.

University Heights became the first Second Region school to sweep the All-A Classic region basketball titles Saturday and will send both teams to the All-A Classic State Tournament in Frankfort this week.

Lee Lee Grubbs scored 24 points for the Lady Blazers as they beat Caldwell County 79-52 in the opener. Denaiya Holmes added 18 points for UHA, who just missed winning the All-A region title last year.

The Lady Blazers head to Frankfort with a record of 16-1 with six straight wins. Their lone loss came after Christmas to Murray, who is also heading to Richmond after winning the First Region All-A title.

UHA will play 13th Region winner Harlan Wednesday morning at 9am local time at the Frankfort Convention Center. Harlan carries a 13-6 record into Wednesday's game after winning the 13th Region title for the fourth time in five years. Harlan has never made it past the second round in any of their previous five appearances.

Meanwhile, the UHA Blazers won their 19th All-A region title in the 25-year history of the event, holding off Caldwell County 71-58 Saturday.

Junior guard Jordan Gary, who transferred from Lyon County in the fall, led the Blazers with 23 points, while Dashjon Brown added 20 points.

The Blazers (12-7) head to Frankfort on a nine-game winning streak. UHA will play Sixth Region champion Louisville Holy Cross Thursday at 9am local time. The Cougars are 13-4 and will be making their 10th appearance at the All-A Classic State Tournament.

Both Trigg County and Christian County will be sending wrestlers to the Middle School State Meet following regional competition Saturday at Union County.

Christian County finished in third place as a team and will send seven wrestlers to the state meet. Trigg County finished in seventh place and will send three wrestlers to the state meet.

For Trigg County, Collin Stevens took second place, falling to John Hardin's Rob Wooten.
Taylor Hampton and Justin Crabtree each finished in fourth place to qualify.

Cole Darnall and Jarrod Ballengee each finished fifth in their weight class and will be alternates for the state meet, to be held February 8 at Montgomery County.

For Christian County, 5th grader Austin Grant-Hall won the region title in the 86-pound class.

Finishing in 2nd place were Eddie Agulto and Diion Leavell, while Austin Gibson and Lavelle Bynum each took third.

Meanwhile, Christian County's high school team went 2-2 Saturday at the Union County Duals. The Colonels beat Caldwell County 64-12 and Trigg County 47-15 while falling to Union County 60-9 and Belleville West, Illinois 49-24.

Finishing 3-1 on the day for the Colonels were Camerin Cole at 120, Caleb Austin at 126, Kobe Perry at 152, Kenneth Sells at 160, Xavier Pate at 170, and Tevin Toler at 220.

In the match with Christian County, Trigg County wrestlers claiming wins were Devonta Turner at 106 and Aaron Stevens at 195.

Christian County erased a 19-point forst half deficit, but Trigg County hit their free throws down the stretch as the Wildcats claimed a 66-63 win Friday night in Cadiz.

The Wildcats shot 51-percent from the field in the first half as they led 33-14 at one point and 36-20 at halftime.

Christian County turned up the full court pressure, and Trigg's shots didn't fall as fast in the third quarter as the Colonels ended the frame on a 13-3 run. The Colonels battled all the way back to tie the game at 57.

Debo Mayes hit a driving shot with 1:08 to go to put Trigg up 61-58, and Cole Gardner hit 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

Christian County (7-12) got 17 points and nine rebounds off the bench from Kaleb Mosley and 14 points from A.J. Tyler.

It's just the third time in series history that Trigg County has scored back-to-back wins over the Colonels (1963-65 & 1997-98). Trigg has never beaten Christian County three straight times and trails the all-time series 8-43.

Trigg County (11-5) will host Webster County Monday night at Wildcat Gym.

The start time for tonight's Trigg County boys' basketball game with Christian County at Wildcat Gym has been moved up to 7pm because there is no JV game.

Trigg County has been battling sickness this week, which has affected their numbers. Tuesday, Trigg County dressed ten players, including two 8th graders and a freshman.

The Wildcats (10-5) are coming off a 14-point loss at Madisonville Tuesday. Trigg is scoring 67 points a game while giving up 59 a contest.

Christian County (7-11) beat Fort Campbell 78-54 Thursday night to snap a three-game losing streak. The Colonels are scoring 64 points a game and giving up 68 a game.

Christian County leads the all-time series 43-7, including a 21-3 mark in Cadiz. Trigg County won last year's game in Hopkinsville 82-77. The Wildcats are trying to post consecutive wins over the Colonels for only the third time in series history (1963-65 and 1997-98).

Mallory Mize (above) on how many school records she set Thursday (Cadiz Record Photo)

Trigg County junior Mallory Mize set school records for free throws made (24) and attempts (30) in Trigg County's 47-28 win over Fort Campbell Thursday night at Wildcat Gym. The win was Trigg's fourth in their last eight games and fifth of the season.

Mize hit a perfect 12-of-12 free throws in the third quarter and at one point, hit 13 straight. She finished with a game-high 28 points.

The old records were 19 free throws by Karen Johnson in 1978 and 29 attempts by Johnson in 1977.

According to the KHSAA record book, Mize's 24 free throws and 30 attempts are both tied for 5th most in state history.

Trigg County trailed 11-9 after one quarter as Fort Campbell hit the offensive glass hard, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds and putting up 29 shots in the first quarter alone. Trigg County got better on the boards and only allowed five offensive boards from the Lady Falcons over the final three quarters.

For the game, Trigg County outrebounded Fort Campbell 43-36.

Eighth grader Lauren Oliver came off the bench to put up her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Trigg County (5-12) has won back-to-back games for the first time in two seasons. They will host Caldwell County Tuesday night. If the Lady Tigers beat UHA Saturday in the championship of the All-A Classic region tourney, that may change.

Madisonville used a 19-2 run over parts of the second and third quarters to beat Trigg County 62-48 Tuesday night in Madisonville. The loss was Trigg County's 13th straight to the Maroons on their home floor dating back to 1950 -- the year of Trigg's only win in Madisonville.

Trigg County overcame a slow start to tie the game at 26 late in the first half before Madisonville ran off the final six points of the half. The Maroons out scored Trigg 13-2 to start the second half to seal the win.

Trigg County -- playing without two starters due to sickness -- got 17 points from Demaria Nance and 13 from Cole Garnder. Debo Mayes scored 11 points in a starting role.

Trigg County used a strong third quarter to beat Christian Fellowship 60-22 Monday Night at Wildcat Gym. The Lady Wildcats outscored CFS 21-6 in the quarter on their way to the win.

Trigg County shot 46-percent from the field, led by junior Mallory Mize who hit 9-of-13 shots for 20 points. Deja Murphy added eight points, and Alison Russell and Lauren Oliver each scored eight points. Oliver also grabbed eight rebounds as the Lady Wildcats held a 38-18 advantage on the boards.

CFS (3-10) got 15 points from Emily Bridges.

Trigg County has never lost to Christian Fellowship in 13 career meetings.
The Lady Wildcats (4-12) looks to make it two wins in a row Thursday when they host Fort Campbell at 6pm at Wildcat Gym.

Former Fort Campbell football coach Marshall Patterson passed away Sunday in Clarksville after a long illness. He was 79.

Patterson began the football program at Fort Campbell in the early 1960s and remained head coach for 32 seasons. He coached the Falcons to Class A state titles in 1976 and 1978 and to the Class 2-A state title in 1979.

Overall, Patterson won 227 games and lost 110, including a 20-12 record in the playoffs.

Patterson also served as wrestling coach at Fort Campbell, with his 1971 team winning a state title. He also coached two state runner-up teams.

In addition to his coaching duties, Patterson served as athletic director at Fort Campbell where the school won 27 state titles in team sports with him at the helm.

Patterson retired from Fort Campbell in 1993 and coached football in Clarksville for five seasons.

Trigg County will try and get back on the winning track when they participate in the First Southern National Bank Christmas Classic in Russellville.

The Lady Wildcats (1-4) look to snap a four-game losing streak against winless Russellville (0-6) tonight at 6pm at RHS. Trigg has never beaten Russellville in seven career meetings.

Other games in the tournament has Hopkins County Central (2-6) vs. Spencer County (2-7); Logan County (0-8) vs. Middlesboro (3-5); and Livingston Central (4-3) vs. North Laurel (0-7).

There will be no radio coverage of Trigg’s games at Russellville.

Meanwhile, Hopkinsville, University Heights, and Todd County Central are part of the eight-team field at the Murray Bank Lady Tiger Classic that begins today at Murray High.

Hopkinsville (3-5) plays McCracken County (5-4) at 6pm. UHA (7-0) puts their unbeten mark on the line at 4:30pm against Dresden, Tennessee. The Lions (8-2) average 63 points a game on offense and have held three of their opponents to under 20 points.

Todd County Central (1-5) will look to snap a four-game losing streak when they play host Murray (7-2) at 7:30.

Each team will play two games tomorrow and then finish play in the tournament Saturday.

Trigg County went 1-2 and finished in fifth place in the 69th annual Paducah Tilghman Christmas Tournament Monday.

The Wildcats opened with a 72-66 loss to Paducah Tilghman Saturday. Later that day, the Wildcats lost to Mayfield 76-61.

On Monday, Trigg County rallied to beat Hickman County 75-73 in overtime to finish in fifth place.

Bowling Green beat Tilghman for the title, and Caldwell County hammered Mayfield for third place.

Against Hickman County (3-4), the Wildcats fell behind early but rallied to beat the Falcons in the first-ever meeting between the schools. Cole Gardner scored six of Trigg’s seven overtime points and finished with a game-high 27 points. Detaveon Day was 9-of-12 at the free throw line and scored 19 points.

As a team, Trigg County only hit 23-of-43 free throws (53-percent).

Against Mayfield (3-4), Day had 17 points, Corbin Estes 15 points, and Gardner 12 of his 14 points in the first half.
It was Mayfield’s first win over Trigg County in basketball since 1961. The schools didn’t play from 1962 to 2011. The all-time series is even at 4-4.

Estes led Trigg County with 15 points, and Luke McKenzie added 12 in their six-point loss to Tilghman.

Trigg County has lost nine of their 10 career meetings with Tilghman. Their only win came two years ago.

Trigg County is now 6-2. Head coach Payton Croft says he is working to reschedule the district game at Crittenden County on the afternoon of December 31st. He said he should know a firm date in the coming days.

McLean County High School was damaged Saturday night when a strong storm producing wind shear blew through western Kentucky.

Perhaps the most striking picture of the damage came from WFIE-TV, who reported that part of the roof to the high school gymnasium was blown off and located nearly a half-mile from the school. A picture the station posted on their Twitter account (seen above) showed standing water on the gym floor.

McLean County's girls' basketball team was playing in Lyon County Saturday night. The boys' team was playing at Warren East.

WFIE reported crews will assess the damage to the school on Sunday when they can see the damage in the daylight.

McLean County was scheduled to host a boys and girls tournament Thursday through Saturday. Boys teams scheduled to play in the event included Crittenden County, Paducah Tilghman, Hopkins County Central, Waggener, Mayfield, and Daviess County.

Girls teams scheduled to play included Pikeville, Holmes, Webster County, Union County, Mayfield, and Walton-Verona.

A decision about the tournament's status will likely be made no later than Tuesday.

Western Kentucky gyms are no stranger to storm damage. Madisonville's gym suffered roof damage during a March 2012 storm. It was repaired in time to host the Second Region Boys' Tournament just days later.

An August 2005 storm caused part of the roof to collaspe at Christian County High School, causing damage.

Despite the damage to their gym, McLean County basketball's Twitter site announced that basketball will go on.

Trigg County used a strong inside game and a strong third quarter to beat Fort Campbell 90-53 Monday night at Wildcat Gym.

Sophomore Detavion Day had 25 points and 17 rebounds, and Luke McKenzie came off the bench to score 14 points and grab eight rebounds as the Wildcats improved to 4-0 on the season.

Trigg took control in the third quarter by outscoring the Falcons 26-7.

The Wildcats outrebounded Fort Campbell 47-19 and had 27 second-chance points. Trigg also shot 51-percent from the field.

The Falcons (0-3) were led by Mike Tatum's 14 points. The Falcon bench played well, scoring 46 of their 53 points.

Trigg County will host Lyon County Tuesday night as part of a boys/girls doubleheader at Wildcat Gym. Croft talks about preparing for the Lyons, who beat Dawson Springs Monday night 65-34 to pick up their first win of the year.

Airtime Tuesday night on WKDZ 100.9 FM is 5:45pm. The games can also be heard online at wkdzradio.com

Kentucky Christian University linebacker Andrew Stewart has been named a finalist for a new award that will be given to the top defensive player in small college football.

The former Trigg County High School standout was among 100 nominees for the Cliff Harris Award as announced by the Little Rock Touchdown Club.

The list features 41 players from NCAA Division II, 42 players from NCAA Division III and 17, including Stewart, from the NAIA. In all, 98 schools are represented.

Stewart was recently named to the Mid-South Conference First-Team defensive squad. He also was named NAIA Player of the Week earlier this year after picking off two passes and returning one for a touchdown against Lindsey Wilson.

Hopkinsville won their second straight Second Region title last year and advanced to the final four of the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual state champion Madison Central.

While Hoptown will have to replace their leading scorer Jordan Majors, they return 6-5 forward Jaqualis Matlock, who averaged 14.9 points and 9.7 rebounds as a junior. Matlock could have put up bigger numbers except he would go multiple trips down the floor without touching the basketball.

He will team with 6-6 senior Jamonte Davis (6.5 ppg., 5.3 rpg.) to form one of the stronger front lines in the region.

Expect senior guard Trey Edwards (10 ppg., 3 rpg.) to have a breakout season. Edwards played in the shadow of Majors last year, but came up clutch down the stretch for the Tigers.

Hoptown adds Christian County transfer Quan Poindexter to the mix after he was just ruled eligible to play by the KHSAA. The 6-5 senior averaged 13 points and five rebounds last year for Christian County and his slashing ability will fit in well with the Tiger offense.

A pair of seniors, Demarius Cager and Dee Henry, will give the Tigers depth in the backcourt, while freshman C.J. Henangan could break into the rotation early.

The Tigers don’t have the size and depth of last year’s team, but certainly have enough talent to make another run at Rupp Arena.

Hopkinsville head coach Tim Haworth has won 81 games in his three seasons as Tiger head coach. He recently spoke to the Hopkinsville Christian County Kiwanis Club about the strength of his team's schedule this year.

The preseason for Christian County was a little less chaotic than last year when the Colonels had to replace their coach days before the start of the season. Kyle Eades moved into the interim role and led the Colonels to a 15-15 season and first round region exit to Henderson County 63-56. The interim tag has been removed from Eades' title, and he is ready to put his stamp on the Colonel basketball program.

Eades' main task will be to replace four starters.

Senior guard Isaiah Pollard is the lone returning starter after scoring six points a game last year.

6-5 junior Devon Wharton was bothered by injuries during football season but should help provide an inside game for the Colonels.

Senior DeAndre Mosby and junior A.J Tyler, who started some down the stretch last year, should see the bulk of the time in the backcourt.

Christian County opens their 2013-14 season Tuesday at home against Hopkins County Central.

The Colonel head coach spoke about his Colonels to the Hopkinsville Christian County Kiwanis Club.

The University of Kentucky announced today that players Cody Quinn and Jason Hatcher have been suspended for Saturday's game against Georgia. Also, receiver and punt returner Demarco Robinson has been suspended indefinitely. The suspensions are for a "violation of team rules" the university said.

Kentucky is 2-8 in Mark Stoops' first season as head coach and 0-6 in SEC play with games left at Georgia Saturday and vs. Tennessee Nov. 30.

Coverage of Kentucky and Georgia begins Saturday at 4:30 on WKDZ 106.5 FM.

Micah Johnson was just getting into the playing groove for his new team when an oblique injury sidelined him for six games. After kicking around different NFL training camps and practice squads, the former Fort Campbell Mr. Football and All-SEC linebacker went north of the border and signed with the Calgary Stampeders.

Johnson got more bad news recently when he tore his ACL in a Nov. 1 loss to the B.C. Lions. His season is over after playing in seven games.

Johnson, now 6-2 and 287 pounds, made the switch to defensive tackle and responded with 16 tackles, two sacks, and an interception.

He previously was on the roster with Kansas City, Miami, Cincinnati, and Green Bay of the NFL.

Former Christian County athletic great Charles Torain has passed away.

Torain was a standout basketball player at Christian County, earning All-Second Region honors in 1967 and 1968. He graduated as the school's all-time leading scorer in basketball before he was passed in 1981.

Torain initially went to Bethel University but transferred to Trevecca Nazarene in Nashville where he played three years of basketball and two years of baseball.

Torain played basketball his freshman year for Coach Bill Boner, who went on to become a U.S. Congressman and mayor of Nashville.

He averaged 17.8 points his junior season and 19.7 points. He graduated as the Trojans' all-time leading scorer and rebounder, marks which stood for 10 and five years, respectively.

Torain was inducted into the Trevecca Nazarene Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.

Trigg County's boys' soccer team made history when they beat Lyon County 9-1 Thursday to claim their fourth consecutive district title. They become the first TCHS team in any sport to win four straight district titles.

Clark Adams and Ben Wigand each had three goals and three assists for the Wildcats, while Troy Alexander added three goals. Adams and Wigand each have 25 goals on the season.

The Trigg County defense was solid all night as goalie Austin Calhoun had just one save in goal.

Trigg led 4-0 at halftime then scored five goals in a 20-minute stretch of the second half.

Lyon County's only goal came on a penalty kick by Sam Gray late in the game. The goal was the first Trigg has allowed against Lyon County in six games.

Trigg County improves to 12-5-3 on the season, while Lyon County drops to 0-15-3.

Both teams will advance to next week's Second Region Tournament at University Heights.

In other district title games, University Heights denied Christian County their first-ever district title by downing the Colonels 4-0 in the 8th District Championship.

Madisonville won the 7th District title with an 8-1 win over Caldwell County.

Henderson County beat Union County 10-0 earlier this week to win the Sixth District title.

The Nashville Sports Council announced a historic deal with the Southeastern Conference to make Nashville and the Bridgestone Arena the site for twelve consecutive SEC Basketball Championships. The SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament will be hosted nine times (2015-2017, 2019-2021, 2023-2025) and the SEC Women’s Tournament will be hosted three times (2018, 2022, 2026).

In May, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced that the league’s athletic directors had voted unanimously to explore a primary site for the men’s basketball tournament.

The Nashville Sports Council has hosted an SEC Basketball Championship at the Bridgestone Arena nine times in its history. The men’s tournament was played in Nashville in 2001, 2006, 2010 and 2013, with the women playing in 2002, 2004, 2008, 2011 and 2012.

Through the Nashville Sports Council’s Scorecard Analysis, the men’s tournaments hosted in Nashville have produced $56 million in direct economic impact and drawn nearly 750,000 attendees. The women’s tournaments hosted in Nashville have produced $35 million in direct economic impact and attracted over 200,000 attendees. The tournaments will also help bolster Nashville’s image. All games of the each tournament will be nationally televised through the SEC Network, ESPN, or ABC.

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association Tuesday issues a directive against the post game handshake lines. Below is the statement issued by the KHSAA.

Several sports have “traditions” regarding postgame handshakes, etc. by team members (both en masse and as individuals), but none of them have such action dictated by playing rules. While it is an obvious sign of sportsmanship and civility, many incidents have occurred both in Kentucky (more than two dozen in the last three years in Kentucky alone) and throughout the country, where fights and physical conflicts have broken out. And this is not restricted to specific sports. In our state alone, incidents in soccer, football and volleyball have occurred this fall.

Unfortunately, the adrenaline and effort required to participate in the sport sometimes seems to deplete the supply of judgement available to participants. And this can be particularly problematic when there is a lack of an appropriate level of adult supervision, or counterproductive actions by the adults involved with the team. After consultation with the Board of Control at its last meeting, the Commissioner is issuing the following directives and recommendations to the schools and officials regarding post game in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling:

Following the contests, officials are to quickly and efficiently leave the playing facility following all rules mandated duties and ensure that the rules book mandated jurisdiction ends promptly. There is no need for officials to secure the game balls, shake hands with the coaches or players, or stick around the playing area for any other reason.

Officials have no role in what goes on in postgame, including handshakes, etc. after jurisdiction has ended. Officials also have NO role in administering this policy. Officials choosing to involve themselves in postgame activities will be penalized appropriately;
Game management and the administration of the participating team(s) are solely responsible for what happens after the contest is concluded.

It is directed that teams and individuals do not participate in organized post game handshake lines/ceremonies beyond that interaction that is required by the NFHS playing rules (i.e. the awarding of a bout winner in wrestling) and the individual unorchestrated actions by individual competitors. If the decision is made to ignore this directive and participate in some form of organized postgame handshake line/handshake against this recommendation, it is the expressed responsibility of game management and the coaches and administration of the teams to supervise the activity, to report to the KHSAA any incidents that occur; and

The coaches and administration of the teams are responsible for the individual conduct of the members of the team following the contest and shall be held accountable for such.

Henceforth, any incidents by an individual squad member (including coaches) or group of squad members that results in unsporting acts immediately following the contest will result in a fine against the member school athletic program, and additional penalties against the individuals or schools as deemed appropriate following investigation.

It is disappointing that this action has become necessary, but enough incidents have occurred both in our state and in others, that the necessity has arrived.

Trigg County closes out the regular season with a couple of tough home games this week, the first against Hopkinsville tonight at the Complex.

The Wildcats tuned up with a 9-0 win over Hopkins County Central Monday in Morton's Gap. The shutout win was Trigg's sixth in 17 games as they improve to 11-4-2 on the season. Trigg County is now 17-1-5 all-time vs. Hopkins Central and haven't lost to them since 1996.

Tonight, the Wildcats face a Hopkinsville team that comes into the game with a record of 11-7. The teams last met in 2011 with Hoptown claiming a 6-1 win. Hopkinsville leads the all-time series 18-2-1, with Trigg's only wins coming in 2001 and 2010.

Trigg closes out their regular season Thursday at home against Madisonville, who shut out Christian County 2-0 to improve to 11-4-2 on the season.

Trigg County's Nick Choate shot a 68 Tuesday to walk away with the Boys 1st Region golf championship. Choate beat Cullan Brown, of Lyon County, by three strokes. Choate, Brown, and Preston English, of Murray, have all qualified for the state golf tournament in Bowling Green.

It appears that the injury to Jake Locker is not as serious as it could have been. Here is a statement issued Tuesday by the Titans, from titansonline.com:

“We received reassuring reports from the second MRI today and they confirmed that there was no major damage to Jake Locker's hip joint – it is classified as a sprained hip. The area will need time to heal and strengthen, but he won’t require surgery and he has already begun a rehab routine for both his hip and knee. We certainly would expect him to miss a few weeks, but we are encouraged by the news today.”

Tickets for the 2013 Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena will be available Saturday, October 5, beginning at 7:00am eastern, 6:00am central, at the Memorial Coliseum ticket windows, on Euclid Avenue, and online at UKathletics.com and Ticketmaster.com.

Madness, the first open practice opportunity for UK’s 2013-14 men’s and women’s basketball teams, is Friday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Television broadcast info will be released at a later date.

Tickets are free again this year, and there will be a limit of four tickets per person at Memorial Coliseum. Online orders will have a minimal service fee attached, and there will be a limit of four tickets per household. Online ticket ordering information will be available at a later date.

University of Kentucky sophomore quarterbacks Maxwell Smith and Jalen Whitlow, along with junior defensive end Za’Darius Smith have been honored for their performance in Kentucky’s 41-7 victory over Miami (Ohio). Smith and Whitlow were given Southeastern Conference “helmet stickers” from ESPN.com for putting up solid numbers in UK’s impressive offensive showing Saturday. The Wildcats totaled 675 yards of total offense in the game, the third-most total offense in program history, including 413 passing yards, the most since 2007 vs. Tennessee.

Za’Darius Smith was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week by CollegeSportsMadness.com. Smith had six tackles and three sacks in the game, becoming the first UK player since Deion Holts in 2003 to record three or more sacks. The UK defense limit Miami to no offensive points and only 122 yards of total offense, which is the fourth-lowest offensive output for a UK opponent in the last 25 years.

Trigg County controlled the second half and rebounded from an opening game loss to beat Marshall County 35-24 in Draffenville. The win was their first over Marshall County since 1984 and the first on the road since 1975.

Jayven Jones rushed for 190 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns. He also picked off a pass in the end zone in the second half to halt a Marshall County scoring drive.

Jones scored a 45-yard touchdown on the game's second play to put Trigg ahead 7-0.

Marshall County answered with a 13-play scoring drive that included two 4th down conversions to pull to within 7-6.

Luke McKenzie hit Tyreke Wilson on a 27-yard pass with 4:23 left in the quarter to put Trigg up 14-6.

Marshall County answered with two touchdowns in 1:20 of each other thanks to a Trigg fumble to take an 18-14 lead.

The Wildcats took a 21-18 lead into the locker room at halftime thanks to a 30-yard McKenzie to Bird touchdown pass with :34 left before the break.

Marshall County's up-tempo style on offense saw them run 50 plays in the first half.

Trigg County controlled the football in the second half and limited the Marshals to just 29 plays.

After a scoreless third quarter, Trigg County put the game away with a 27-yard McKenzie to Tyler Estes TD pass and a 33-yard run by Jones with 4:40 left to take a 35-18 lead.

Trigg County outgained Marshall County 434-362 yards, holding the Marshals to 139 total yards in the second half.

The Wildcats (1-1) will host Hopkinsville next Saturday in the David Sadler Bowl at Perdue Field.

EXTRA POINTS - Trigg County's last win over Marshall County came in 1984 when Al Baker set a TCHS rushing record with 306 yards.....Marshall County leads the all-time series 7-5.....Trigg County topped 400 yards of offense for the first time since last year's Heath game, a 48-27 Wildcat win.....Jayven Jones' 190 yards rushing is the most since Akeem Wilson ran for 180 yards vs. Reidland in 2010.....Marshall County ran 79 plays in the game, the most by a Wildcat opponent since Madisonville ran 75 plays in a 52-49 Trigg County overtime win in 2000.....Trigg County has a career August record of 29-41-1 (.415).....Seven different Wildcats caught passes, with none more than two.....Trigg County has nine turnovers in their first two games, but a turnover ratio of just (-2)......Luke McKenzie passed 3,000 career yards for his career and stands sixth on the all-time TCHS passing list but should finish the season #2.....McKenzie currently ranks third in career completions (223) and attempts (425) and is fifth with 32 career TD throws.

Former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck faces charges after being arrested early Sunday morning. According to ESPN, Bulluck was charged with felony robbery after a cab driver accused him of taking money during an argument in Nashville. Reports indicate the cab driver was waiting outside a bar for a fare when Bulluck approached him.

The driver says an altercation ensued, and Bulluck took a $100 bill and fled the scene. When officers arrived, the cab driver led them to Bulluck in a nearby parking lot. The incident occurred around 3:50am.

With the Hilltoppers taking on Kentucky on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. CT in Nashville, WKU has announced policies and procedures regarding ticketing and security for the contest at LP Field. Among the notable policies in place are the new NFL bag policy and the fact that tickets are now available exclusively through Ticketmaster throughout the week and on-site at LP Field only.

NEW NFL BAG POLICY TO BE IN EFFECT FOR OPENER AT LP FIELD: New NFL bag policies will be in effect when WKU takes the field against UK in the season opener at LP Field in Nashville. The new policy affects restrictions on the size of bags that are permitted into LP Field -- not the items that you normally need to bring to a game. Each fan may carry in their pocket items such as keys, makeup, combs, phones, wallets, and credit cards, and may also continue to carry a blanket or jacket into the stadium.

LP Field security strongly encourages fans to not bring any type of bags into the stadium. However, certain bags are permissible and those exceptions are listed below. Fans will be able to carry the following style and size bag, package, or container at stadium plaza areas, stadium gates, or when approaching queue lines of fans awaiting entry into the stadium:

Fans may carry in a small clutch bag or purse approximately the size of a hand, with or without a handle or strap.
• Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12" by 6" and 12" or
• A one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar).
• An exception will be made for medically necessary items, including seat cushions, after proper inspection at Gates 1, 5 & 7 designated for this purpose.
• Diapers and wipes must be carried in a clear bag. Each member of a family, including children, will be able to carry an approved clear bag and a clutch purse, providing ample storage capacity.

Complete information on the new bag policies is available at the following site: http://www.titansonline.com/stadium/carry-in_policy.html.

TICKET INFORMATION: This game is not a sell out, but all ticket sales for the opening game of the season are now only available through Ticketmaster. Fans can order tickets for the game by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or visiting a Ticketmaster location. Previously, tickets were available through both schools, but all sales have now transitioned exclusively to Ticketmaster locations. Ticket prices vary and are subject to availability.

On game day, tickets will be also be available for purchase at LP Field at Gate 1 beginning at 3:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.. This is also the location for all will call pickups that were placed through Ticketmaster.

The first 4,000 WKU students at the game on August 31 with a valid student ID will receive a free ticket to the game. After the first 4,000 students, student tickets will be available for purchase at $13.

WKU's will call gate will be located at gate 8 and will open at 3:00 p.m. Player guest, recruit and student tickets will be able to check in starting at 4:00 p.m. at gate 8. UK's will call gate is located at gate 9.

PARKING LOTS TO OPEN AT NOON: Parking lots will be available for tailgating beginning at noon CT. Multiple lots will be available for parking on a cash only basis on gameday near the stadium, but not overnight parking will be allowed.

Getting a tee time at a state park golf course has just become a bit easier. Parks Commissioner Elaine Walker announced Monday that golfers can now go online to reserve tee times at all 16 of the golf courses operated by the Kentucky State Parks. Walker noted that the service will make it easier for golf customers to make reservations, and it makes courses available to more golfers in Kentucky and other states.

The online reservation system is operated by GolfNow, which is owned by The Golf Channel. Golfers can visit www.parks.ky.gov, and click on the “GolfNow” logo to make a reservation.

The University of Kentucky football schedule for the 2014 season has been announced in conjunction with the Southeastern Conference schedule released Wednesday by the league office. Next year's slate will include timing adjustments for games against rivals Louisville and Tennessee. As requested by the SEC and the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Kentucky vs. Louisville game will be moved to the final game of the regular season beginning in 2014.

The leagues moved the game as a result of adjustments in scheduling brought on by the conference expansions undertaken in both the SEC and ACC. The SEC went to 14 schools a year ago and the ACC will be at 14 football-playing institutions when Louisville joins the league in the summer of 2014. For the `14 season, the Cardinals will play host to the Wildcats on Nov. 29.

The UK vs. UofL game had been played early in the schedule since the series was renewed in 1994. For Kentucky, moving the game to the end of the regular season also will require another adjustment. Tennessee has been scheduled as the Wildcats' final foe since 1953 and the Volunteers will now move to Nov. 15, 2014, meaning that UK will close the regular season with a pair of rivalry games.

The switch of the Kentucky-Louisville game date means that there will be four SEC vs. ACC in-state rivalry matchups on the final weekend of the season. The Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech and South Carolina-Clemson tilts also are on that weekend.

The remainder of Kentucky's non-conference schedule in 2014 includes three home games - the season opener against the University of Tennessee at Martin on Aug. 30, followed by Ohio University on Sept. 6. The Wildcats will play host to the University of Louisiana at Monroe on Oct. 11. This will be the first time that UK has played UT Martin. UK last played Ohio in 2004 and ULM in 2009.

The Wildcats continue to kick off the SEC schedule against Florida on Sept. 13 in Gainesville, the sixth consecutive season that UK's league lidlifter comes against the Gators. One other significant timing change comes with the Vanderbilt game. Having played VU in November every season since 1953, the Wildcats will host the Commodores on Sept. 27, 2014.

Kentucky will continue to play the other Eastern Division opponents, with South Carolina and Georgia at home and Missouri on the road. UK's permanent opponent from the Western Division, Mississippi State, will visit Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky's rotating opponent from the SEC West will be a game at LSU, which replaces Alabama from the 2013 schedule. The Wildcats last tangled with the Tigers in 2011.

Jill P'Poole scored six goals, but it wasn't enough as Crittenden County beat Lyon County 8-7 in the girls' soccer season opener. Crittenden won the game in a shootout after the teams were tied 6-6 after regulation.

P'Poole became the school's all-time leading scorer and took the field for the first time in regular play since suffering a knee injury that forced her to miss basketball season.

The win by Crittenden County was their first over Lyon County in 15 years and snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Lady Lyons.

Trigg County opens their season tonight by hosting Lyon County at the Complex. Trigg lost to Fort Campbell Monday in their final scrimmage 12-3 as Brittany Shafer had three goals for Trigg County.

Trigg County opens their soccer season today at Fort Campbell. The Wildcats lost just one game a year ago -- that coming to Henderson County in the region title game.

The Wildcats have beaten Fort Campbell just twice in 30 career meetings. Their last win came in 2008. In their only meeting last year, the teams played to a 3-3 tie in the season opener. Trigg County was 15-1-4 last year, while the Falcons were 10-6-2.

Elsewhere today:

University Heights (9-10-4) will play across town at Christian County (6-12-3). UHA won the only matchup last year 1-0.

Hopkinsville (19-5) plays host to Mayfield (4-14). The teams haven't played since 2008 when Hoptown scored a 4-1 win.

Marshall County (17-7-2) hosts Paducah Tilghman (10-6)

Union County (1-13-1) travels to Dawson Springs (3-11-2)

For the ladies,

University Heights (7-11) opens at home against Logan County (9-6-1) in the first-ever meeting between the schools.

Lyon County (9-13) travels to Crittenden County (0-14). The Lady Lyons have won 15 straight games against Crittenden County dating back to 2001.

Marshall County visits Paducah Tilghman

Dawson Springs hosts Union County

Also, Trigg County hosts their final preseason scrimmage tonight against Fort Campbell at the Complex.

Trigg County golfer Nick Choate took home another medalist honor after winning a dual match with Mayfield Thursday at Boots Randolph Golf Course. Choate shot a 2-over 38, which was two shots better than teammates Cole Gardner and Kullen Garner.

Trigg County shot a 160 as a team, which was nine shots better than Mayfield.

For the ladies, Trigg County's Madison Chaney took home medalist honors with a 42.

On Tuesday, Trigg County defeated Caldwell County 157-171 at Mineral Mound State Park.

Choate again took medalist honors with an even par 36. Gardner shot a 41, and Garner and Carter Sholar each had a 41.

Lyon County's Cullen Brown and Caldwell County's Daniel Taylor each led their schools with 38s.
Madison Chaney led the ladies with a 42.

Meanwhile, Hopkinsville won a quad match Thursday at Western Hills Golf Course, defeating UHA, Christian County, and Muhlenberg County.

Austin Knight, T.J. Janes, and Dylan Henderson led Hopkinsville with identical scores of 40. Tad Switzer led UHA with a 42, while Christian County's Grainger Greenwell took home medalist honors with a 38.

There will be no trip to Thompson Boling Arena this year for the UK basketball team. According to the Courier Journal, Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin has confirmed Tuesday that UK and the Vols will play only once this regular season, and that matchup would be at Rupp Arena. It will mark the first time since 1952-53 that Kentucky hasn't played a regular season game at Tennessee.

The former SEC Eastern Division rivals aren't guaranteed to play each other twice a year now because the conference no longer is divided into two divisions for basketball. Florida is now Kentucky’s permanent home and home matchup under the new SEC scheduling arrangement.

Officials at Western Kentucky University have announced that for the first time in program history, the Toppers will host an SEC team at Houchens-L.T. Smith Stadium as part of a three-game series with Vanderbilt. In the announcement made Wednesday, WKU officials say the series is broken up into two parts for the Hilltoppers and Commodores.

Set to take place over the 2015-17 seasons, the teams will trade home games in Nashville on Sept. 12, 2015 and in Bowling Green on Sept. 4, 2016, before the Hilltoppers will play one guarantee game in Nashville on Nov. 4, 2017. Situated just 67 miles apart, the universities have a sparse history between each, with only five all-time meetings on the gridiron, including three varsity matchups between 1931 and 1938. Most recently, the Tops fell to Vanderbilt 12-0 in Nashville on Oct. 1, 1938. In all, WKU has 18 total games against SEC foes and is set to add two more to that total in 2013.

Last week, the program announced the addition of Illinois to its 2017 road schedule. The Tops will also travel to Champaign in 2014 for their first ever meeting with the Illini.

The Southeastern Conference Monday announced agreements with nine postseason bowls and a new process for the assignment of SEC member schools to bowl games, beginning with the 2014 season and extending for six years. According to secdigitalnetwork.com, the new bowl process coincides with the beginning of the new College Football Playoff that follows the 2014 season.

Under the new SEC bowl system, the Capital One Bowl. will have the first selection of available SEC teams after any conference schools have qualified for the College Football Playoff, the Allstate Sugar Bowl or the Discover Orange Bowl. Following the Capital One Bowl, there will be a pool of six bowls comprised of renewals with the Outback Bowl, Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, and AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis. There are also new agreements with the Texas Bowl in Houston, and Belk Bowl in Charlotte.

UK merchandise continues to fly off the shelves at a pretty good pace, putting UK at #3 in royalties. According to an article on espn.com, for the eighth straight year, the University of Texas collected the most royalties of any college or university represented by the Collegiate Licensing Company. The rest of the top 10 was dominated by SEC schools.

According to the rankings, which were released Monday, University of Alabama came in second, followed by Kentucky. The rankings, which represent royalties on the 4.6-billion dollar annual college merchandise business, reflects the money collected by schools on sales of gear from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013.

Western Kentucky University's 2013-14 basketball season opener at Wichita State will start at 12:00am, on Tuesday, November 12, and will be televised on ESPN2 as part of the 2013 ESPN Tip-Off Marathon. The marathon begins at 6:00pm on November 11, and the final doubleheader begins at 6:30pm on November 12. The marathon includes more than a dozen games in over 24 consecutive hours of basketball to start the 2013-14 season.

Wichita State is coming off a trip to the Final Four last year, and the game is the first of four on WKU's 2013-14 schedule against teams that won at least 27 games a season ago. Additional game times and television information for WKU's 2013-14 schedule will be announced in the coming months.

Caldwell County's Emma Talley finished strong and won the U.S. Women's Amateur Golf Championship today in Charleston, South Carolina. The University of Alabama sophomore-to-be defeated Orlando's Cindy Feng 2-and-1 to win her first national amateur singles title.

Like she did in Saturday's semifinal win over Alison Lee, Talley got the early lead and stayed ahead of Feng for most of the match. Talley had a one shot lead after 18 holes depite shooting 3-over par. She shot even par on the final 17 holes to claim the win.

With the win, Talley qualifies for the 2014 U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst, North Carolina. She made the cut at the 2012 Open, which made her an automatic qualifier for the 2013 Amateur Open. Talley also receives a 10-year exemption into the U.S. Women's Amateur and a 15-year exemption into the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur for golfers over 25 years of age and a 2014 exemption into the Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.

Talley also now has a good chance to make the Curtis Cup, a biennial event that pits the best amateur golfers in the United States against golfers from Great Britian and Ireland. The 2014 event will be played in St. Louis.

Trigg County golfer Nick Choate fired a 2-over par 73 to take sixth place Saturday at the Paducah Tilghman Invitational at Paxton Park Golf Course in Paducah. Choate was four shots behind medalist Lance Davis of Graves County who shot a 2-under 69.

Caldwell County's Daniel Taylor shot an even-par 71 to finish in fifth place, while Trigg County's Cole Gardner shot a 75 to finish tied for 12th place. In the team scores, Graves County edged Marshall County by four shots for first place. The Marshals were led by Quinn Eaton and D.J. Pigg who each shot 73s.

Caldwell County finished ninth in the 13-team field.

For the ladies, UHA's Anna Moore shot an 8-over 79 to finish in 16th place. Clarksville's Brena Smity was medalist with a 2-under 69, one shot ahead of Paducah Tilghman's Teri Doss.

Trigg County was led by Madison Cheyney's 87.

Clarksville High won the team competition with a four-shot advantage over Calloway County.

Trigg County will golf again Tuesday at Mineral Mound State Park in a triangular match with Caldwell County and Lyon County.

May 14th marked the 25th anniversary of the worst drunk-driving crash in U.S history, known by most people as the Carrollton bus crash. Shortly before 11pm, 27 people were killed and 34 more were injured when the church bus they were riding on collided with a drunk driver on I-71 in Carroll County.

Of course, the children and adults injured were not from Carrollton. They were from the First Assembly of God in Radcliff in Hardin County. Many of the students attended North Hardin High School.

27 people were killed when the right front of the bus collided with the right front of Larry Mahoney's pickup truck, which was going the wrong way on I-71 shortly before 11pm. The bus was returning from King's Island. Many of the people on the bus were asleep.

When the two vehicles collided, the impact drove a spring into the gas tank located behind the driver's seat. The gas and tank quickly ignited. Between the ignited gas and the flammable foam inside the bus seats, the cabin of the bus quickly caught fire, reaching an estimated 2,000 degrees, according to reports.

Autopsies showed no one died from injuries due to the crash. They died from smoke inhalation and/or burns. Many could not get off the bus because of the fire at the front of the bus and the crush of people at the back of the bus where the only other exit was located.

One of the survivors was Harold Dennis, who suffered extreme burns. Years after surviving the crash, Dennis walked on the University of Kentucky football team and later earned a full athletic scholarship for his last two seasons as a wide receiver. Harold earned several national awards at UK, including the Arete Award for Courage in sports, the Gene Autrey Award for Courage in Sports, and the Johnny Unitas Courage Award.

On the 25th anniversary of the crash, Dennis has teamed with writer Daniel Blake Smith and director Jason Epperson, a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, to release a documentary "Impact: After the Crash", which looks back at the crash.

Dennis spoke to the Kentucky Lifesavers Conference in Louisville Wednesday and showed some video clips. The documentary was released in May and already has screenings upcoming at film festivals in Louisville and St. Louis.

I was fortunate to speak with Harold after the conference to talk about the making of the film.

Based on the trailer below and the video clips shown at the conference, "Impact" looks outstanding.

Of course, you are impacted by the crash every day and probably don't realize it.

The bus was a 1977 Ford -- only 11 years old and had been purchased by the church from the Meade County school system.

Kentucky now requires all school buses to have nine emergency exits--more than any other federal or state standard. All school buses must have front and back doors, a side door, four emergency windows and two roof exits. They must also have a cage around the fuel tank, a stronger frame and roof to resist crumpling on impact and rollover, high-backed seats, extra seat padding, flame-retardant seats and floors, reflective tape on all emergency exits, and strobe lights on the exterior.

Schools also must have a diesel-powered fleet. Buses also have luggage and storage compartments located under the bus so that equipment and luggage isn't placed at the rear of the bus, blocking the rear exit.

As for Larry Mahoney, his blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.24 -- more than twice the legal limit at the time. He remembers nothing of the crash. Anyone who has traveled that section of I-71 has to ask themselves "How can anyone drive the wrong way on the interstate at night for three miles and not hit anything or run off the road??" When I drove that section of road recently, I asked myself that.

He was convicted of 27 counts of manslaughter and 16 counts of assault. He served 10 years and 11 months before he was released in 1999. Kentucky law said each person killed in the crash was worth five months in jail. Five months. That doesn't count those injured like Harold Dennis. There are some who feel like Mahoney could tell a strong anti-alcohol message to other people. He has refused to do so. He lives anonomously in Owen County today.

Since the crash, Kentucky has lowered the per se limit on DUIs to .08. They have also toughened up the DUI laws some, but not where it applies to alcohol-related deaths.

University of Alabama golfer and Princeton native Emma Talley has reached the semifinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur Golf Championship after a thrilling 19-hole match play win over Australian Su-Hyun Oh.

Here is a link to the story, including information on today's semifinal matchup with Allison Lee.

With practice getting underway, there are player problems for new WKU football coach Bobby Petrino. According to the Bowling Green Daily News, backup running back Leon Allen was arrested early Sunday morning by Bowling Green Police on a charge of Disorderly Conduct. He was released from the Warren County jail around noon Sunday.

WKU officials say they are aware of the arrest and are gathering information about it. Allen is a 6-foot, 235-pound running back from Bradenton, Florida. He was second on the team in rushing in 2012, between Antonio Andrews, with 317 yards on 56 carries.

A familiar face has been named the baseball coach at Hopkinsville High School. A media release from the Christian County Public School System said Greg Perry has been named the head baseball coach. Perry served as an assistant coach with the Tigers from 2000 to 2008.

Near the end of the 2008 season, Perry was named the interim coach for HHS when Scott Marks was suspended by then-Superintendent Bob Lovingood for using inappropriate language with the players. The Tigers finished 5-3 under Perry.

The Tigers were 19-14 in Perry's only full season as head coach in 2009. After the season, Perry was told by then-HHS principal Demetria Choice that he was three college hours short in his requirement to be a coach. The school then named Randy Harrell as head coach, and the Tigers won the 2010 region title.

"I look forward to a great year of working with the team, and I thank the community for all of their support over the years," Perry said in the release.

Perry takes over for Jeff Gillespie, who was 32-32 in two seasons as Tiger head coach, but resigned earlier this month due to what he called "philosophical differences with the administration."

The Hoptown Hoppers ralled for nine runs in the final three innings to stun Fulton 11-8 in the opener of the Best-of-3 Ohio Valley League Championship series.

The Hoppers scored four runs in the seventh and eigth innings to turn a 8-2 deficit into a 10-8 lead.

John Beary got the Hoppers on the board with a two-run homer in the third inning. He finished the game with two hits and three RBIs. Geordie Carlson and first baseman Seth LaRue also drove in two runs.

Former UHA standout Kyle Barbee pitched 2 2/3 innings relief to get the win, allowing just three hits.

The Hoppers can claim their second consecutive OVL title tonight at Tiger Stadium, where Hoptown has won 11 straight games and not lost a home game in July. First pitch is at 7:05pm.

Tonight is Fan Appreciation at Tiger Field, with multiple raffle prizes for both adults and kids, including Gift Certificates to Hays Furniture, an autographed team ball, gift certificates from Buffalo Wings and Rings, a spot in the 2014 Hoppers baseball camp, and two 2014 Hoppers Season passes.

Noffsinger said there will also be a silent auction for the autographed broken pink bat of Brad Sevenish and another autographed bat.

Fans who bring school supplies for the Christian County Family Resource and Youth Services Centers will get in for $2.00.

The Oldies Radio/Chik-Fil-A Tailgate Party will air tonight at 6:05 on Oldies Radio 96.5 FM and 100.9 FM.

The first Titans Tonight Show with head coach Mike Munchak for the 2013 season airs tonight at 6pm on WKDZ 106.5 FM.

You can also stop by Garland Nissan in Hopkinsville for your chance to win CLUB level Titans tickets which include wider seats, air conditioned lounges, and upgraded food and beverage options. This also includes parking passes.

The Live Afternoon Drive will be at Garland Thursday from 3-5PM to give away tickets for the August 8th preseason game with the Redskins.

Garland Nissan has a chance for you to win CLUB level tickets to EVERY Titans Home Game This year!

Carrie McGinnis will be at Garland to give away tickets on Thursday, August 15th from 10am-noon for the Atlanta Falcons game August 24th at LP Field.

The Hoptown Hoppers begin defense of their Ohio Valley League championship tonight when they travel to Fulton to face the Railroaders in the opener of the best of three championship series.

Both teams swept their first round opponents -- Hoptown over Owensboro and Fulton over Marion -- and finished one-two in the standings.

Hoptown won the season series with Fulton 5-4, with three games decided by a single run. The Hoppers were 2-2 on Fulton's home field.

Hoppers manager Grayson Crawford says one advantage Fulton has is setting their pitching for tonight's opener.

After tonight's game, the teams will play Game Two Tuesday night in Hopkinsville. Hoppers GM Finney Noffsinger said Tuesday will be Fan Appreciation at Tiger Field, with multiple raffle prizes for both adults and kids, including Gift Certificates to Hays Furniture, an autographed team ball, gift certificates from Buffalo Wings and Rings, a spot in the 2014 Hoppers baseball camp, and two 2014 Hoppers Season passes. Noffsinger said there will also be a silent auction for the autographed broken pink bat of Brad Sevenish and another autographed bat.

Fans who bring school supplies for the Christian County Family Resource and Youth Services Centers will get in for $2.00.

Regardless of tonight's outcome, the Hoppers will have a chance to claim the OVL title on their home field, where they are 19-5 this year and have won 11 straight games, including Saturday's playoff win over Owensboro.

The University of Kentucky has released the details about the 2013 edition of Big Blue Madness. Officials say Big Blue Madness will take place October 18, at Memorial Coliseum. For UK basketball fans it will be their first chance to get a look at what is being considered the best recruiting class in school history.

Fans will be able to start lining up for tickets after 7:00am, October 2, with ticket distribution starting at 7:00am, October 5. Tickets will also be available online at Ticketmaster.

Trigg County High School Athletic Director Marty Jaggers confirmed today that the school has filled three coaching vacancies, including two sports that begin practice next week.

Julian Williams, who has served as assistant volleyball coach the past two years at Trigg County, takes over as head coach and will inherit a team that loses just one senior from a district championship team.

Henderson County native Josh Abner has been named the new boys' and girls' cross country coach, replacing Mike Wright who retired after 27 seasons and two state championships. Abner has coached cross country and track in Hawaii and one year at Hopkinsville High.

Russell Malone, who served as an assistant coach last year, has moved up to take over the girls' basketball head coaching job. Malone has been a head coach Warren East and Clarksville Northwest and has been at Trigg County the past two seasons - one as a boys' assistant and the other as a girls' assistant coach.

Malone replaces Amy Breckel who resigned earlier this year after nine seasons as head coach.

Trigg County still has openings for an assistant athletic director and head softball coach.

Two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and 12-time legendary Pro Bowler Ray Lewis, of the Baltimore Ravens, winners of Super Bowl XLVII, is coming to Paducah, Kentucky. The two-time Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer has committed to “An Evening of Excellence” on Saturday, August 17, 2013, at the McCracken County High School Strawberry Hills Pharmacy Arena at 7:00pm.

Lewis played his entire career (1996-2012) with the Ravens and his hard hits and determination helped the franchise win Super Bowl titles – XXXV (named MVP) and XLVII. His 12 Pro Bowl selections are tied for the fifth-most in NFL history and most by a linebacker. Ray Lewis is one of only six players to earn the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award multiple times (2000 and 2003).

Lewis is involved in charitable activities, motivational speaking and mentoring. He started the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation, a non-profit corporation which provides personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth. In May 2010, a portion of Baltimore’s North Avenue was renamed “Ray Lewis Way” in honor of his charitable work; similar honors include a 2006 JB Award (named for CBS broadcaster James Brown) and an “Act of Kindness” Award for his community work.

WKU senior center Sean Conway has been named to the watch list for the 2013 Rimington Trophy, awarded annually to the nation's top center. In 2012, Conway started every game on the WKU schedule for the third-straight season, tallying 13 starts on the year to bringing his career total to 37. He took every offensive snap for the second-straight season and was one of three Hilltopper offensive linemen to start each game.

Conway is the third Hilltopper to earn the honor of being selected to a preseason watch list for a major college football award in the last week. Senior running back Antonio Andrews has been named to the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award and Maxwell Award while junior linebacker Andrew Jackson has been selected to the Bednarik Award watch list.

The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football. Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy has raised over $2.5 million for the cystic fibrosis community. The fourteen-year old award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over $100 million for CF Research.

The Louisville Cardinals won the NCAA men's basketball championship last spring, now they'll get the floor they played on. According to published reports, Northwestern Mutual has purchased the floor and donated it to U of L. The floor is being taken to the KFC Yum Center, and part of it will be used to raise money for pediatric cancer treatment.

It's the second time Northwestern Mutual has purchased the championship floor. Last year, the UK used part of the floor from the Superdome for Rupp Arena locker rooms and part to raise funds for charity.